What Cannabis Business Owners Need to Know About Oregon Liquor Control Commission’s June 15 Pause

Written by Mia Getlin, Attorney at Gleam Law, PLLC’s Oregon office.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Oregon Liquor Control Commission (OLCC) issued a news release announcing that the Commission will pause acceptance of new marijuana license applications beginning June 16^th. Per our conversation with a representative at the OLCC, the pause is expected to last at least through the year. The pause will allow the OLCC to clear its large and growing backlog of applications and allow it to refocus efforts on compliance monitoring of current licensees.

Less than two weeks ago a memo from Billy Williams, the U.S. Attorney for the District of Oregon, listed overproduction as an enforcement priority. Only the legislature, which is out of session for the year, can cap licenses. This move by the OLCC will potentially give the legislature a chance to address overproduction with a cap on licenses or other legislative action before the pause is lifted.

Any clients working towards licensure in Oregon should get their applications submitted by June 15^th. New applications submitted due to a majority change in ownership of a licensee will still be accepted for processing after June 15^th, so our clients will still be able to acquire or sell licensed businesses, likely in a quickly changing market. Please call us with your questions or for help navigating this change.